AaronS

Also, start getting stuff ready at your house...you've got tons to do. Cleaning up stuff you are shipping back, deciding what to take, etc.

What I've been doing is looking at houses in the suburb we want to return to. Also, looking into weekend trips for us back home. Basically planning out probably the first 6 months. I've actually started a list of things....like places to eat and things to do (including how frequent) and people to go visit. Keeps me distracted that way.

Strange how common dairy and gluten allergies have become. Wonder what the cause is.

Yea, we chose not to bring them. To much "red tape". It's probably a little to easy to get them in the US...but honestly most of the people that own firearms are responsible with them. Just for fun, here's a pics of a sporting goods store close to where we lived in Austin.

My wife is a competition shooter. She won a gold medal at World Cup in Milan back in '94....so yes, we do miss having the freedom to have firearms.

Not to side track, but that's something that bugs me about here. I haven't really said much about it but this place is a HUGE nanny state compared to the US. For cripe sake you can't even carry a pocket knife here.

At 51 I'm afraid your visa options are pretty much zero unless you get a work visa sponsored by an employer....which, again, will be difficult with age. Best option is apply with as many employers as possible and hope for the best that someone will sponsor you for a 457 visa. Best of luck!

Actually that is the best thing to do. If HR doesn't respond and things get extremely bad (i.e. sacked) you then have documentation to persue legal action. Documenting this kind of stuff is business 101.

Here's mine: Day 1: Eat a mountain of BBQ brisket and drink less expensive (but very good) beer Day 2: Eat a mountain of Mexican food and drink less expensive (but very good) beer Day 3: Band practice with the boys (if not done on Day 1 and Day 2 as well) and drink less expensive (but very good) beer Rinse and repeat.

Yes, don't take their crap. I also suggest you start documenting the occurences in writing. Start a journal....just a word doc will do. Note the time, date, location, person involved and specifically what they did. If it gets worse take that journal to HR and drop the damn bomb on them.

With my core friends, yes. Guess everyone is different. I consider "old" friendship really part of what makes me who I am. The experiences we shared, the lifestyle we built and the the plans we made. I realize now that I was a fool for leaving.

I actually found the opposite. All my close friends stay in constant contact...and honestly, quite a few I didn't feel were that close back home have become even closer. They get in touch regularly and genuinely want to know how things are going...and now, when we are coming home.

Yes on the help on the other side. Both of my parents, both of my wife's parents and my brothers are ready, willing and able to help in the interum. They want us back almost as much as we want to be back.

haha....yea, it's the USA now. :biggrin:

Well put.

Haha....sounds exactly like the Belrose Hotel to me.

Thanks for all the input so far. I responded to the emails telling them I'm interested and that I could arrange to be back quickly (tried not to sound like a giddy kid). Thing on the kiddos is we'll have to use child care (I'm watching them now) and it's much cheaper in the US....by much cheaper we are talking $700 a month compared to $2000 a month for my 3 year old son. That's a US mortgage payment in saving. Our oldest could stay here....she's old enough to manage herself after school so no extra cost for care on her. The middle one is the delima. In kindy but can't manage after school so after school care is in order. It makes sense to bring her back with me because after school care is cheaper in the US as well....plus no $4500 a year in school fees. Honestly it makes sense for all of them to come back with me but 3 kids would be tough to manage alone (for either of us). Hope I'm not counting my proverbial eggs before they are hatched, but seems that me heading back for the same job at the same pay would be the smartest thing to do.

Not sure what to do and need some advice....maybe some of ya'll have had to make a similar choice. About 3 weeks ago I had mentioned to my former manager that we wanted to come back. I woke up this morning to three emails from three different people where I worked in the US. Two managers and the VP of Operations. They want me to come back to my job.....right away. This will be a tough decision. We'd have to split up the family. I'd need to take one or two kids with me and we'd be apart for a minimum of 6 months but most likely a year. Is it worth it? Those that have split the family like this (going either direction), how did you manage?

Well, that's how my wife got her job here.....it wasn't because the folks in Australia wanted her to come here. Quite honestly it was because of who she knew in their corporate offices and they wanted her to come her and kick some ass....which she is.

It's ridiculously expensive on the Northern Beaches....but it's ridiculously awesome on the Northern Beaches as well. I really love the area (despite being homesick to the point that we are leaving in a year-ish). Check into Frenchs Forest. It's a bit cheaper than the beach front suburbs but still close enough to drive in on a whim.

I'd suggest as short of a layover as possible. We flew with a 2, 4 and 9 year old. Went from San Antonio, TX to Los Angeles, CA....one hour layover...which was about right to switch terminals. On to Sydney from there. Kids never knew what hit them...no down time to realize they had to get back on a 16 hour flight and they crashed pretty much as soon as we got in the air.

Pfft...forget the Suez...head around the Cape of Good Hope.

We are headed back to the US but would gladly pitch in and head to the UK for a little vacation before flying the rest of the way to Texas.

thank you for ranting about the way employment works here...saved me the trouble! I understand EXACTLY what you are saying!

Reading through this thread made me think about my friends and try to figure out why I've had such a hard time being away. I guess what it gets down to is the friends I have are based on more than just common interests. My two best friends and I have been in bands together for good on 10 years. That's living a life together. Practices two times a week, playing shows constantly, taking weekend trips out to write music (and drink), spending weeks on the road with them in a van, experiencing the highs and lows of coming soooo close to actually "making it" in the music world. Not to mention just the good times we had going out to "promote" the band....and the extremely difficult times we shared together as well. Those guys are like my brothers....hell, closer than my brothers honestly. I don't mean to sound like a shite, but no surf club or parents group could ever come close to giving me that kind of relationship. I guess you could compare them to being like war buddies (no offense to anyone that has been to war, just the only thing I could think of that would be close). Damn, I have to get back home.